Black Powder
by Empire of Silverstein
Summary: Democracy or morality? Freedom or stability? Is everything black and white, or is there something more? Not all is as it seems as Equestria is drawn into its first open war in a thousand years. So load your musket, ready your cannons, draw your sabre, and deploy your troops as you charge into the darkness filled with twists, turns, and an mysterious enemy hidden in the shadows.
1. Flashforward

**Flashforward**

**Day**

**-125**

**Fort Grenzer**

* * *

The rain came down hard from the Cumulonimbus clouds above, darkening the sky completely. The ground was muddy and hard to step through. The frequent flashing of lightning and the orange explosions of cannon were the only things that allowed General Shining Armor to see the large star fort in front of him. He was soaking wet, his blue mane pressed flat against his coat.

The pitter-patter of droplets added ambience as they smacked into plated armor and earth. The sky was so black that it was impossible to tell that it was noon. The yells and cries of a repulsed Equestrian regiment filled his ears as he watched them rout from the battlefield.

He turned to look at his Royal Guards.

They were all adorned in the traditional gold-plated armor, the non-pegasi already deployed in line formation, four ranks deep. The pegasi hovered above their comrades, sabers hanging from their belts, ready to be drawn. The earth ponies, armed with the best hoof-fired muskets that the Principality could buy, bayonets already fixed. Wet powder may or may not be a problem. The unicorns, their magic tuned and primed to fire, ready to unleash bolts of death unto the enemy.

Eight thousand Elite Royal Guards.

They looked exhausted and miserable, which was not surprising in the least. Many of the ponies here were hardened veterans that have experienced almost a year and a half of war, while others were replacements fresh out of training. He could see the morale sapped away from the eyes of his ponies, of this he was certain.

They didn't want to fight anymore.

They were tired and had enough.

He needed to rally them.

Now.

"Look at those conscripts run!" he scoffed, watching the routing line regiment.

"Everypony knows that the Royal Guards are a volunteer force! The heart of a conscript is weaker and more tragic. A volunteer is the mark of a true soldier! We have proven this time and time again! Remember Karmaden? Crimson Ridge? Let us show them how we fight! Let us show them the Equestrian Royal Guards!"

He darted his head back and forth through the ranks, and he could already tell that wasn't going to be enough. The weariness in their eyes did not fade like it had before, these ponies were burned out. Shining was now starting to get irritated. His elite troops still did not want to fight.

But he needed them to.

He nodded to them and smiled as he let his hardened demeanor slip. He continued to face all of them, the flashes of artillery from the fort behind him lighting up his face. That fort was the last thing standing between them and the enemy capital city.

"Looks like history's made room for us after all," he said casually as he calmly walked toward the ranks.

"What's wrong? Many of you don't feel like going?" he asked nonchalantly.

He stepped through the ranks, guards moving aside to let him through. They all turned to face him, some with guilt in their eyes, others with a tired glaze.

But all of them listened to their general.

"It's fine. I do," Shining stated with a soft chuckle.

Then his smile disappeared.

"I'll take this fort alone! And destiny will be waiting! Shots will bounce off me! Cannonballs will swerve with fear! Not one of you needs to take this fort. But I absolutely insist, you come with me and watch me take it!"

He exited the ranks and returned to the front of the line.

"You will come with me and watch me take it!" he emphasized.

"Wolf tail!"

At this order, the earth guards poised their bayonets, the unicorns lowered their horns and the pegasi drew their sabers. Shining Armor turned to look at his guards one last time. The fire in their eyes had been rekindled, at least for now.

That was all he needed.

"If I go forward...follow me. If I retreat...shoot me. And if I'm killed...avenge me."

He drew his own saber.

"AVENGE ME!"

A massive cry of eight thousand voices filled the valley that surrounded the fortress, encasing the entire countryside of northern Karalia in a roar that would be remembered for ages.

General Shining Armor plunged himself into the darkness as every last guard charged in after him.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Familiar?

"You cannot stop me; I spend thirty thousand men a month."

- Napoleon Bonaparte


	2. When the air still smells of peace I

**When the Air Still Smells of Peace**

**I**

**Day**

**-540**

**Ponyville**

* * *

The snow crunched under Twilight's boots as she exited her library. A yellow-striped orange scarf was draped over her neck and hung down over her chest. It swayed back and forth as the purple unicorn trotted through the powdery snow.

"_Only three more weeks until Winter Wrap-up!"_ she thought excitedly.

She had already begun making preparations for the organization of the clean up and couldn't wait to stretch her brain muscles over something other than a book for a change. Not that she didn't like books, because she LOVED them, it's just that it's good to stir things up every once in a while.

It was possible she even loved books more than Spike...

Maybe…

"_Nah!"_ she shook her head with a smile as she answered her own silly question.

Needless to say, her plans were getting more efficient with every winter. Last year, she almost wrapped up winter early.

Almost.

That was her goal this year and she would go to_any_length to accomplish it. Well, any length within reason of course. The images of the "Smarty Pants Incident" playing in mind causing her to shiver more than the cold did.

"_Never again,"_ she thought with dread in her mental voice.

She could see ponies trotting and flying through Ponyville's streets, going about their usual business. In the town market, she could see an orange mare selling apples from a cart. Maybe she should see how her friend was doing today, quality time is important after all.

Twilight's stomach growled.

"_Well, might as well levitate two quills with one spell."_ she thought as she mentally chuckled at her own corny joke.

The unicorn trotted through the market, her boots crunching the snow beneath her. The town was bustling with activity today, as ponies shopped for bargain items left over from Hearth's Warming and bought food that had been stocked up for the winter season by the various vendors.

Twilight took the time to take in the scenery. It was cloudy today, turning the normally blue sky into a sheet of light gray. Sugarcube Corner was decorated with Hearth's Warming lights and streamers were still flowing in the breeze. A group of foals were giggling and dashing through the snow, happily enjoying their snowball fight.

The sentiment just felt right to Twilight. This was how winter in Ponyville was supposed to feel. That homey and peaceful feeling that makes you want to run outside and roll around in the snow. Create snowponies, go sledding or making a frozen fort for a snowball fight, perfect for a foal that wanted to play.

But Twilight preferred a more conservative approach. Sitting by the fire, a piping mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream warming her hooves with a good book levitated to her face. Hearing the crackling of the fire mixing with the laughter of foals playing outside or the howling of a fresh blizzard blowing through town.

Yes…that was more her style.

The orange pony noticed Twilight's approach and smirked.

"Hey Twi! You hungry?" Applejack asked as she swiped one of her apples from the cart and held in front of Twilight.

She gazed into the sleek and shiny red skin of the apple with delight.

"Uh…yeah actually. How did you know that?"

"Just good with faces I suppose…" the farmer trailed off.

"…And the fact that you're drooling," she finished with a lighthearted chuckle.

Twilight eyes widened as she blushed with embarrassment.

"_So THAT'S why my chin feels wet!"_

She conspicuously wiped her chin with a hoof as her eyes darted back and forth, hoping no one had seen that.

Applejack laughed heartily.

"Ya_don't_ have ta hurt me girl. Just take the apple," she quipped as she hoofed the fruit over to Twilight.

She took it graciously and didn't hesitate taking a bite. The apple was delicious. This apple, it was good. She couldn't explain it at all but…it was _really_ good.

Then, something snapped within her.

"Oh yeah…" she cooed seductively.

Applejack raised an eyebrow.

Twilight savored the sweet juice of the fruit, sending her taste buds on a journey and back. She was loudly smacking her lips and moaning in pleasure loudly, making some of the bystanders stare at her in bewilderment.

Some began to back away slowly.

Applejack looked uneasy.

"Uhh, Twi?"

Twilight couldn't hear her. She was too busy indulging herself with a treat that seemed to be blessed by Celestia herself. She aggressively chomped down on the apple, her teeth ripping away at the skin. She growled with satisfaction as her hooves began to convulse involuntarily, almost dropping the apple.

"Mommy! What is that lady doing? It looks like fun!" a young colt with a baseball cap was holding his mother by the hoof as he pointed at Twilight.

He smiled innocently as his mother's mouth dropped in shock at Twilight's questionable display.

Over an apple.

"Something you shouldn't know about for another twelve years Screwy," the mother responded, still unable to process what was happening.

"Twilight?" Applejack tried again.

The unicorn's eyes were still shut in ecstasy, the moans and convulsions growing in frequency and power with every bite.

The juices fueling her euphoria like kerosene to a lamp. She could feel a surge of burning magic flowing from the base of her horn to the tip.

"I wanna try! I wanna try!"

"NO! Get AWAY from the crazy lady, Screwy!"

The mother snatched up her foal by biting down on his tail and dragged him away.

Applejack had had enough.

"Twilight!" she shrieked.

The librarian halted the action of rubbing her belly with a hoof as she was shocked out of her daze. Twilight began to shake her head and wiped her face with her hooves.

"What!? H-huh? Who?" she stammered as she snapped back into reality.

"What happened?" she asked.

Applejack sighed.

"You were doing it again sugarcube," she deadpanned.

"Again!? Oh no! This time it was in public!" Twilight cried out.

She panicked as she ran in place, turning every which way.

"_Oh you frickin' OCD infected weirdo! What have you done now!?"_ she mentally screamed at herself.

"And just when I thought I'd seen it all…" Applejack shook her head.

"I mean, I know my apples are good but…I've _never_ seen a pony almost orgasm over 'em."

Twilight sighed as she stared at the snow covered ground in shame. This was the third time something like this has happened. She couldn't understand why.

Pent up stress?

"Can- can we uhh…change the subject?" Twilight asked.

Applejack took a look around the market and watched in disappointment as ponies backed away from her cart, some mesmerized, some traumatized…one smiling.

"Well, since you scared away all of my customers, I'm free to talk."

"Oh, I'm _so_ sorry Applejack! I just don't know what went wrong!"

"Hey, that's my line!" a gray mare hovering above the crowd yelled out in protest.

Applejack snorted in the direction of the crowd.

"Anyway, what did ya wanna talk about sugarcube?"

Twilight cleared her throat and took a second to compose herself.

"Is Pinkie ready for her trip home next week?" she inquired.

"Well yeah, from what I've heard. She's more excited than a coyote finding roadkill."

"Are Rarity and Applebloom taking the same train?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, her and Sweetie are gonna see their parents in Canterlot. Pinkie's rock farm is the next stop with Manehattan after that. You know, Applebloom's been pretty excited. This will be her first time seeing Babs in the big city."

Twilight smiled at that.

"Pinkie didn't forget her ticket again, right?"

Applejack didn't answer.

Twilight frowned.

"Where is she?"

* * *

Twilight found Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and surprisingly Fluttershy, hanging out by the pond outside of town.

Pinkie was ice skating, doing flips, spins and the occasional hoof-stand in an attempt to impress her friends. Rainbow was wobbling on her skates like a newborn foal, grimacing in frustration. Fluttershy was gently tapping the tip of one of her hooves onto the ice with an uneasy expression.

"Oh come on Fluttershy! Just hop in! Like this! WEEE!" Pinkie screeched as she launched herself off of the ice and spun gracefully in the air.

"Ahh!" Fluttershy squealed as exactly two individual snowflakes made contact with her face.

"Too cold…" she whimpered softly as she backed away from the body of frozen water.

There was another loud scrape as Pinkie stuck her landing perfectly, causing the struggling Rainbow Dash to fall face first into the ice with a loud smack.

"Pinkie! Ahh-Ack!" Rainbow glared at her chipper friend as she started to recover from her embarrassing fall.

_"Some athlete I am..."_ Rainbow thought as she sighed, blowing her breath on the ice in front of her.

Twilight noticed the cute blue eyes of her friend blocking her vision, complementing the oblivious grin on Pinkie's face.

"Oh hi Twilight! You wanna play!?" she yelled as she waved a hoof.

"Um, no thanks. I'm good."

She remembered what happened the last time she had tried ice skating.

"Suit yourself!" Pinkie replied as she pulled a banana out of seemingly nowhere and began munching on it.

"Pinkie Pie! How many times do I have to tell you to stop messing me up!? It's _really_ cramping my style."

The pink pony giggled.

"But look at the bright side Dashie! At least you look super adorable in your little skates on your little hoofsies! And-and-" she explained as she batted her eyes at the pegasus.

"Little?! Adorable!? What do I have to do to get taken seriously around here?!" she complained.

Pinkie completely ignored Rainbow Dash's plight as she turned back to Twilight, smiling wide as ever.

"Are you sure you don't want to play Twilight? You and Rainbow Dash can have a contest to see who wipes out first," the pink pony suggested.

"Hey!" Rainbow yelled.

"Actually Pinkie, I just wanted to know why you've forgotten your train ticket…again."

Pinkie stopped poking Rainbow Dash's snout and turned back to Twilight once again.

"Oh no, I have it actually! Here it is!" she chirped happily as she held out a rolled parchment on her hoof.

_"Hmm...this ticket looks kind of-wait."_

Twilight's eyes shot out of her face as she recognized the paper immediately. She snatched away the parcel with fear and dread running through her body.

_"No!"_

Twilight's voice quivered.

"Pi-P-Pinkie?"

Pinkie Pie frowned for the first time that day, almost dropping her half-finished banana.

Twilight hissed.

"Is this my twenty thousand word essay to Princess Celestia?"

Pinkie bowed her head and squealed like a little filly that had just gotten caught by her mommy. She shrunk to the ground as she shifted her eyes back and forth between Twilight and the snow-covered earth, her face sad. She resembled a guilty puppy that had broken something expensive.

"And did you DRAW ON IT WITH CRAYON!?"

On the the letter to the Princess was Twilight's original message, overwritten by large jumbled letters in green crayon reading:

**THIS IS A TICKET. PLEASE LET ME IN.**

It had a giant green smiley face flanking the urgent message on each side.

"PINKIE PIE!"

* * *

**Red Mane Valley**

**Southwest Equestria**

* * *

"So I said: NOT this time bud! And into the ravine he went!"

Laughter from the table resonated throughout the bar as a middle-aged stallion finished his punch line.

Waitresses were trotting from place to place serving drinks all the while. The bar was dimly lit by a few lanterns placed on the tables and at the counter, where a bartender was cleaning a mug with a rag.

"Man, that is ridiculous!" one of the ponies responded.

Laughter died down as the hilarity of the joke faded. A more serious topic intervened.

"Yeah, so I heard that the government funding for the mine is being cut…" one stallion trialed off.

The smiles that had graced the faces of the hard-working miners melted away instantly. Everypony froze on the spot, some staring at the speaker in disbelief. Some started shaking their heads as they let they let their gazes downcast, while others' faces distorted in frustration and anger.

"Are you kidding me!? Again!?"

"This is outrageous! How am I supposed to pay for my house!?" another stallion complained.

"This sucks man! They KNOW we depend on that funding, why are they cutting it?" a younger miner griped as he pounded on the table with a hoof.

"I think I know."

The young gray stallion answered him as he joined the miners at the table. He calmly sat at the table and picked up an unclaimed mug that had been placed by a waitress a shortly before. They all turned to this pony, surprised at his timely arrival.

"And who are you?" a burly stallion asked him.

The young gray pony looked at him with a blank stare before answering.

"That's not important. What IS important is that your funding has been cut again."

"Yeah, we kinda went over that already. What's it to you? I've never seen you around here before," an annoyed worker replied.

"And do you know why?" the gray pony inquired.

"…No. I guess we don't. You wanna enlighten us Star-Swirled?" the older stallion mocked coldly, his demeanor becoming dark.

"Well, since millions of taxpayer bits are being spent on foreign aid to places like Saddle Arabia and the crumbling Kingdom of Gryphonia, the government thought it would be necessary to cut funding for this entire province," the stranger explained coolly, taking a swig of his mug.

The miner ponies now exchanged looks of disbelief.

"That is the most ridiculous theory I've ever heard. The crown would never turn their backs on their citizens for something as stupid as foreign aid. You're just being silly, kid."

The gray pony scoffed.

"Believe it or not, _your_ province is being cut. Red Mane is getting neglected by Canterlot, and for what? So two countries that nopony gives a rat's ass about are getting benefited by your bits? I can't believe you ponies would just take that lying down. Especially you bunch, considering your entire lives are resting on this."

One of the miners turned towards the young pony and glared at him.

"How about you keep your crazy theories to yourself kid? And who are you exactly? Cause I know for a fact that you're not a Red Maner."

The gray pony smiled as another one of the miners stood up.

"And why would the crown ignore us anyway? Do you have any idea how much money we make for Equestria? We are important. There's no way the princesses would be stupid enough to neglect us."

The gray pony let his now empty mug drop to the table.

"So...how much of that money are you actually getting back again?"

A rewarding silence filled the room as none of the earth ponies were able to answer the unicorn.

"That's what I thought."

The gray pony rose from his seat and swung on his cloak, the chair creaking onto the wooden floor as he threw the hood over his head. He turned back to the group at the round table and gave a smirk that looked very eerie from the shadow of the hood.

"Such a pity that a proud and strong land has to bow to the likes of Canterlot. Have fun dealing with your financial woes. Good day."

With a simple teleportation spell, the mysterious colt vanished. The miners looked at each other, dumbfounded. They could have sworn that unicorn left an eerie chill behind him as he teleported.

Something...something wasn't right about that pony.

"Can you believe that guy and all of his cryptic bs? What a creep!" one pony spoke up.

The miners returned to their drinks as they began to think long and hard about what that strange pony had said. Were they really being used by the government? Where was all of their money going anyways?

One of the miners stood up out of his chair, the glow of the candlelight reflecting off his middle-aged face.

"That weird pony may have been a nut, but he was right about one thing. We can't take this lying down. This is Red Mane dammit, and our voice will be heard."

His companions both nodded and voiced their agreements, some raising their mugs in a toast while nodding in affirmation.

"We need to organize a formal complaint. We need to protest."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

"I will work to elevate you. Just enough to bring you down."

- Maynard James Keenan


	3. When the air still smells of peace II

**When the air still smells of peace**

**II**

**Day**

**-533**

**Canterlot**

* * *

The night sky over Canterlot was teeming with Luna's beautiful stars. To Celestia, the sky resembled a backlit canopy with holes punched in it. The nearly full moon gave off an impressive white light, giving the entire capital an almost spiritual and lonely ambience, blanketing the sky with a wispy white haze over the snow covered earth. Even though she may not tell her sister enough, she really appreciated Luna's work with the night sky.

The usual hustle and bustle of Canterlot had died down since the evening sun had retired. From the balcony, Celestia could still see some scattered lights dotted around the city below but for the most part, the citizens had turned in for the night. The sound of crickets could be heard as well as the barking of neighborhood dogs in the distance. There were still a few weeks of winter to be had until the spring season, although the chill didn't bother Celestia in the slightest.

She had heard a soft clopping of hooves behind her, momentarily shattering the silent peace that Celestia was enjoying. Without even turning around, she already knew who it was. Celestia could recognize her sister's presence from a mile away.

"Sister, I have a letter of demands from the Red Mane province," Luna said abruptly.

Celestia craned her neck slowly as her little sister slowly entered and took a seat on the carpeted balcony next to her. She could see that Luna was in fact, carrying a rolled parchment. Even though she wasn't shocked, Celestia had not been expecting something like this.

She had known for a fact that her aid's package to Gryphonia and Saddle Arabia would cut into the Royal budget, which was part of Equestria's new foreign policy. Although it was true that much of Equestria's revenue came from Red Mane, she didn't think that those ponies would be so bothered by it. It was obvious that she would have to address this immediately.

"Hello Luna. Beautiful night tonight." Celestia smirked.

"Thank you sister. I guess I really went for atmosphere tonight, didn't I?"

Luna moved to lie down next to Celestia and sighed.

"Are you okay?"

Luna rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine. You know how taxing controlling celestial bodies can be."

Now it was Luna's turn to smirk.

This sort of playful banter was common among siblings and coworkers, even for alicorns. Luna let her head touch the carpeted ground as she lay down completely. She nudged the rolled letter towards Celestia with her nose, which her sister found absolutely adorable.

"You might want to take a look at this. The citizens seemed pretty distressed."

Celestia shook her head in affirmation.

"I will Luna. Is it really bad?" she inquired with a worried tone.

"No. They are protesting but it seems mild for the time being. Nothing too crazy to worry about," Luna said airily, her voice betraying drowsiness.

Celestia nodded and lifted the roll to her face with a quick levitation spell. She opened the letter of demands meticulously, careful not to damage the letter because she may have to refer to it later. She couldn't help but feel a little nervous, her little ponies didn't normally preach dissent towards the crown.

"Have you already read this Luna?"

The blue alicorn appeared to have been falling asleep with she addressed her. With a yawn, Luna gazed up at her sister with tired eyes.

"No. Everything I've told is from word of mouth. I know I'm supposed to read it too but I think I'll wait until tomorrow."

Celestia nodded abruptly and folded the parchment in front of her face and leered into the contents.

_**Our Royal Highnesses,**_

_**I surely hope that you both are in good health and fortune. I wish that I were writing you this letter of demands under better circumstances. Unfortunately, this is not the case. On behalf of the ponies of Red Mane and under the pressure of a petition signed by ten thousand citizens, I am hereby forced to inform your royal highnesses of the general unhappiness of the public in our great province.**_

_**As governor, I am obligated by law to ensure the well-being of this province's ponies. This issue seems to stem from Equestria's new "Friendly Neighbor" policy that you yourselves proposed, enacted, and signed. It was not brought to a vote by the Provincial Senate and was passed by Royal Decree alone. Of course, this is legal in our Constitutional Principality, however it is not a perferred method of conducting government laws and policies. This dealing with foreign nations and redistribution of wealth is a kind gesture abroad albeit a pain in our own coffers.**_

_**As you know, the province of Red Mane supplies the Principality with almost forty-five percent of its funding and around twenty-seven percent of the entire nation's resources. Therefore, it would only make sense that a significant amount of the money and material being send to Gryphonia and Saddle Arabia may have originated from Red Mane and at our expense.**_

_**Does this not mean that our province's resources and revenue are being thrown into a bottomless pit without our consent?**_

_**This is an outrage!**_

_**Not only that but you have the nerve to cut our federal funding! To budget this new policy?! Vital facilities and services are now crippled as a result of this underhooved move! Red Mane's economy is already suffering and it is only going to get worse unless this issue is addressed immediately! **_

_**I, along with the great citizens of Red Mane, are requesting your attendance to the Provincial Palace in hopes to acquire Royal intervention. Surely, a deal or proposition could be worked out to negate this neglection of one of your own provinces. Perhaps we can come to a compromise or understanding.**_

_**You both have been demanded to either cease this new policy or give compensation in return for Red Mane's cooperation.**_

_**Good day to you, your highnesses.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Governor Dusk Quill**_

Celestia gasped at the attitude and tone of the last couple paragraphs. The letter was pretty standard up that point and then the Governor just decided to unload in an unexpected flurry of malcontent. She was shocked to say the least. Maybe this issue was a little more urgent than what Luna had let on. Her mind was still trying to process what was written.

The part about cutting Red Mane's funding...she didn't even remember doing that.

Strange.

She gazed on the ground next to her only to find that Luna had already fallen asleep, her soft snores the only things Celestia heard besides the gentle breeze. She rose her head to the sky, taking in the ethereal view above.

They had to make an audience to Red Mane. They couldn't afford not to. Celestia decided this with conviction.

* * *

**Day**

**-532**

**Ponyville**

* * *

Pinkie Pie sloshed her way through the snow as she bounced behind her entourage of friends. She was so happy and excited that she couldn't stay still, even with her bags rocking around on her back. A wide grin graced her face as she thought of home back at the rock farm. Its been at least two years since she's been home and she couldn't wait to see her parents and sisters again. This whole trip was going to be fantastic.

Applebloom followed Applejack with several bags on the older mare's back, both talking about Applejack's experience in Manehattan and laughing about her 'fancy' accent. Rainbow had shown up as well with Scootaloo riding on her back as they hovered over the others. Rarity trotted alongside her little sister as well. Twilight was at the head of the group, making small talk with Fluttershy. Whether they were leaving or just seeing off friends, everypony was on their way to the train station.

"-You don't even know how awkward that was! They had about a billion different types of silverware! I didn't want none of that!" Applejack chuckled.

Applebloom giggled along with her, wondering if Babs was into that kind of thing.

Sweetie Belle heard Scootaloo giggling and laughing as Rainbow Dash zoomed overhead, taking the young pegasus filly on a joyride.

"Hmm...that looks like a lot of fun. Can I ride on your back sis?"

"No."

"Aww..."

Pinkie Pie bounded her way to the front of the group until she reached Fluttershy and Twilight. There was something that the pink pony needed to get off of her chest. The other two friends noticed her and let her slip in between, Fluttershy flashing her a quick smile. Pinkie Pie turned to Twilight.

"So...I'm _really_ sorry about the whole ticket fiasco. I didn't mean to destroy your letter," Pinkie apologized, a small frown appearing on her face.

"It's okay Pinkie, I made a replacement last night. Luckily, I was able to remember most of what I wrote. No harm done," Twilight consoled, nodded her head to reassure her friend that it was okay.

"It's just that, when I procrastinate, I freak out. And when I freak out, I do silly things," she explained.

"Just when you freak out?"

"Well, I do silly things anyway."

The train station was a non-flattering simple one, which was expected for such a small town like Ponyville. There were dozens of ponies boarding and disembarking, the screeches of train on tracks mixing with the calls for boarding and the usual banter of large crowds. It seemed like a pretty busy day for the station.

"Hold on girls, I need to use the little filly's room. Be right back," Twilight said as she left Fluttershy and Pinkie at the head of the group.

The others were still behind them, and when Pinkie turned to back to face them, she noticed that they had stopped to help Applejack pick up the large suitcase that fell from her shoulders. Well, some of them stopped to help anyway, Rainbow Dash was too busy giving Scootaloo her money's worth as she pulled off some basic maneuvers in flight.

Pinkie hadn't even realized it until she turned around but she and Fluttershy had already made it to the station with the others still trailing behind, a good twenty yards away. That was all except Rainbow and her passenger though, zooming around randomly while Scootaloo cackled like a madpony.

"All aboard!" the conductor called out as he starting accepting tickets.

Pinkie hopped in line with Fluttershy following her, the others still struggling to catch up. What was taking them so long?

"Well Pinkie, I hope you have great trip. It always good to see family every once in a while."

"Thanks Fluttershy! I can't wait to party with my family! I wonder if my sister was able to-"

The train erupted in a giant fireball as the explosion rocked the entire station. A huge cloud of smoke swallowed the entire complex as a secondary detonation ripped through the station's building, spewing debris and ponies everywhere.

Pinkie Pie could feel herself going airborne before anything else. All she could see was the dark gray cloud that she was consumed in. The ringing in her ears blocked her from hearing the screams of the unsuspecting crowd. She hit the ground hard on her side, coughing out smoke and snow as the pain in her ribs intensified. She was covered in ash, her normally pink vibrant coat blackened. Pinkie was lying in a haze of smoke, bruises and scrapes covering her body.

She couldn't see Fluttershy.

She couldn't find anypony for that matter.

Just the haze.

Her ears were still ringing, she couldn't hear herself cry out in fear and pain. A mix of dirt, debris and blood covered her body, even though most of the blood wasn't hers. She could have sworn that her name had been called.

"Fluttershy!" she yelled, trying to call out to her friend.

Groans of wounded ponies could be heard over the crackling of the fire. Smoke billowed into the sky and the ground was strewn with the bodies of ponies. Bystanders panicked and struggled to assist the wounded and the dying as the entire center was engulfed in flames. The train was split in two, a large fire separating the two halves. The station itself had a huge gap where the boarding area was supposed to be, more flames filling in the empty space.

Then, she saw a blur of light blue burst through the smoke and dart towards her.

It was Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie could see genuine fear in her friend's eyes as she landed next to Pinkie and frantically started to talk to her. She still couldn't hear anything and just stared up at her pegasus friend blankly, not quite sure how to react.

Rainbow Dash began to look over Pinkie's body, probably checking for wounds. Rainbow's magenta eyes were filled to the brim with tears, she couldn't stand to see her friend like this.

Her ribs hurt a lot.

Her eyelids began to close as she saw Rainbow Dash scream her name.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

"Here I abandoned peace and desecrated law; fortune it is you I follow. Farewell to treaties. From now on war is our judge!"

- Julius Caesar


	4. When the air still smells of peace III

**When the air still smells of peace**

**III**

**Day**

**-532**

**Red Mane**

* * *

The southwestern Equestrian wind wasn't as biting as Luna thought it would be. The sun had still shown through the partly cloudy skies today. The night princess watched the birds chirping as they flew by the chariot which held her and her sister. Luna had been leaning over the edge with her hooves and casting her eyes over the green and hilly landscape below. To Celestia, she looked like a happy puppy, who was enjoying the breeze that blew across her face. But the other alicorn could not complain, for she enjoyed it as well.

The six Royal Guards that pulled the chariot flew together in perfect synchronization, emanating the discipline and professionalism of Equestria's finest. Before them, both sisters could see the regional capital of Red Mane growing in size as they got closer.

They observed the tall and refined buildings, which was expected of such a rich province. The city was immense, only to be rivaled by either Manehattan, the Crystal Empire, or Canterlot. Seven-hundred thousand citizens in this city alone, if Celestia remembered correctly. It truly was a marvel to look at; the city itself was a symbol of the province's economic power.

The chariot began to descend into the outskirts of the city from the east.

Local ponies gazed to watch the Princesses of Equestria glide down with their golden chariot in all their glory. Most of the ponies were mesmerized at the uncommon appearance of the rulers in Red Mane. Ponies gathered near the chariot, all of them bowing in the streets obediently. The chariot touched down onto the street and began to slow to a crawl.

Celestia was relieved to see this behavior from the citizenry. The way the governor's letter was written, she expected to see more tension and malice. But alas, the ponies here behaved just as ponies from any other city. Maybe this issue could be solved very easily if she played her cards right.

The Royal Guards began to trot down the road towards the entrance of the city. Ponies stood at the edge of the first few buildings, still deep into their bows. Celestia looked to Luna and smiled and Luna turned towards the city and they both began to wave airily at their subjects, appearing regal and graceful. The Royal Guards led the way, marching at the quick step, keeping their small formation.

The road was quite lovely, Celestia saw.

Bushes lined the paved road into the city and the surrounding area was filled with lush green grass. The green hills flanked the trail and city itself for miles around and pine trees were scattered across the land. This was really was a beautiful place, they both thought. The alicorn princesses were gaping at the scenery, taking in as much as they could.

A loud crack.

"Sister!" Luna yelled urgently as a dark blue forcefield covered the chariot.

Something dinged off the shield as Celestia snapped out of her stupor. She looked up and saw a puff of smoke blowing out of a second-story window.

"Make ready!" somepony yelled.

Suddenly dozens of earth ponies emerged from the bushes and trees on either side of the road, armed with muskets and deployed in a skirmish formation. A large group of unicorns poured out of the city and formed a volley line in front the entourage. The formerly bowing citizens screamed in terror as they galloped into the safety of the city, confused and disoriented.

"Take aim!"

The muskets clicked as earth ponies lowered them at the princesses and their Guards.

"Fire!"

Cracks of musketry and puffs of smoke filled the senses as Luna and Celestia feared for their lives. They heard shots bounced off of the magical shield and a few of their Guards cry out in agony. The thicket of musket balls was unlike anything either of them had ever experienced. When the smoke cleared, two of the Royal Guards were sprawled out on the ground and the two entire ranks of unicorns across from them were priming their horns to fire.

_"No!"_ Celestia thought.

An alicorn's magic may have been stronger than a unicorn's but with that many unicorns firing together, Luna's shield wouldn't stand a chance. Celestia desperately dumped her own magic into the shield, turning the color green and amplifying the strength.

"Make ready!" a Royal Guard called out.

The four remaining Guards formed a line in front of the princesses, in an effort to protect them. They fished over their backs for their rifles and pointed the barrels to the sky, holding them in front of their faces.

"Present!" he yelled as they let their long-range weapons drop and point into the enemy formation.

"Fire!"

The sun princess saw a couple of the unicorns across from them shriek in surprise as they dropped from being hit. The Royal Guards let their emptied breech-loaders fall to the ground as the pegasi drew their sabers.

"Charge!"

While the pegasi cavalry Guards made their glorious yet suicidal charge at the unicorn formation, another group of unicorns appeared from the shrubbery and raced up behind the chariot. They all poked their heads into the alicorn shield and had begun to absorb the magic, using their horns like a pump.

Celestia and Luna alike could not ignore the feeling that their power was being sapped away but they were too focused on preparing for the incoming unicorn volley. But as they braced, both of them couldn't help but to feel that their magic was draining at such a rapid pace that they might not be able to hold back the volley.

_"How? How are simple unicorns able to draw that much magic away from us?"_ Celestia thought.

"Fire!"

Magical death bolts blocked their vision of the city as the deadly projectile spells came zooming in. The remaining Royal Guards were shredded instantly, caught directly in the path of the volley, serving their purpose as meat shields.

It wasn't enough though.

The barrier immediately collapsed under the sheer amount of war magic that had been cast at it. Magical shots penetrated and soon the princesses felt the pain of them hitting their bodies.

"We have to fly!" Luna cried out as she spread her large wings.

Celestia followed and both ascended into the air, in the hopes that they could escape, or fight back.

They were immortal, not indestructible.

But an untimely musket volley from the earth ponies had foiled the aerial escape. They had only gained a few feet of altitude before musket balls ripped through their feathery appendages. The sisters both looked at each other and saw the other start bleeding. They used more of their magic to begin to mend some of the wounds the best they could.

"Shoot the wings!" a rebel cried out.

More shots poured in randomly as the rebels had started to settle for just firing at will, rather than organized volleys. Death bolts and muskets balls zoomed past, a few of them slamming into the alicorns' bodies.

Both Luna and Celestia looked at each other and frowned. They didn't want to have to do this but they had no choice. The alicorns should have just enough of their depleted magic remaining to carry out their last resort.

They both charged up magical energy as they loaded their own projectiles. Death bolt and ball continued to zip past them, a lucky one here and there managing to hit. The sisters then lowered their horns at the center of the unicorn formation.

They unleashed their power.

"Disperse!" the unicorn commander ordered as the blast flashed towards them.

The attack was impressive, a stunning white beam of light that made the unicorns' death bolts look like foal's play. The rebels all leaped out of the way at the last second, only a few of them getting caught in the powerful blast.

To Celestia's horror, she had forgotten that the city was directly behind the formation.

The blast ripped through a massive three story building and completely sliced through the integrity of the structure. The building creaked and groaned as the force from the alicorn death bolt sent it tumbling down. A foal's playground was directly in the path of the fallen building, and Luna cried in horror as it crushed everything below it.

Bystanders screamed and cried out as chaos overtook the city.

Neither of them could believe what they had just seen. It happened so quickly, that it didn't even feel real. Their brains could not register anything that they had just seen. All of this was happening too fast, frustrating them because of their inability to control any of it. They couldn't have done that, there was no way. Not the benevolent and pure princesses of Equestria. If the rebels were angry before, now they would be absolutely livid.

"No!"

They refused to accept it.

But it was true.

They were foal killers.

There had to have been scores of little fillies and colts in that playground.

Not to mention how many ponies were in the building.

The stinging from musket balls and death bolts returned to them as their senses did. They had distracted the larger unicorn formation at the front but were now taking death bolt fire from behind. Indeed, the unicorns that had sapped their magic earlier were now firing it back at them. There wasn't enough bolts to destroy them now, which let them know that their plan had worked.

Celestia cried out in pain as a ball had slammed into her shoulder, immortal blood spurting from her wound.

"The-the distraction w-worked. We h-have to get o-out of here sis-ter," Luna said with steaming tears in her eyes.

Celestia nodded sadly as they prepared what was left of their power. Both were extremely wounded, adrenaline the only thing keeping them conscious. They would need immediate medical attention when they got back to Canterlot.

In an impressive flash of white, both alicorn sisters disappeared.

The cracks of musketry died down as the rebels realized that their targets had disappeared, a few of them voicing their hate.

From a second-story window, a gray pony observed the incident with a cold smirk.

The agent had accomplished his mission.

* * *

**Day**

**-531**

**Ponyville**

* * *

Rainbow Dash sat by Pinkie's bedside, watching her friend sleep.

Fluttershy was recovering in the other room a few doors down.

Twenty-three ponies were dead.

And thirty-seven more wounded.

It was unbelievable.

There was no way that any of this could be happening. Not in Equestria.

Rainbow Dash was _angry_.

She had just gotten the news that this tragedy was _no_ accident. Apparently, similar explosions like the one in Ponyville had occurred at train stations all across Equestria. All of them within a few minutes or hours of each other.

This was not a coincidence.

It was sabotage.

Especially after the news came out about the Princesses' Royal Procession getting ambushed en route to Red Mane. Word had gotten out that even though they were badly wounded, both Celestia and Luna were alive and back in Canterlot, receiving medical treatment.

Hours later, after executing Governor Dusk Quill and his loyalists, the province of Red Mane declared its independence from the Principality of Equestria.

Stone Leaf, the General of the Army of Red Mane Valley, declared the birth of the Republic of Red Mane.

_**"No longer will the imperialistic policies of Equestria oppress our ponies. For far too long have we lived under the bastardous stranglehold of our former handlers. It is a dirty business to obtain freedom and independence, but it must be done for the welfare and future of the ponies of Red Mane. As proud general of this army, I will defend these ideals to the death!"**_

Rarity had read them that speech from the Canterlot Times while they were in the waiting room. Immediately after, the nurse had called them in.

_"Attacking any Royal is an act of war,"_ Twilight had told them before she left to check up on Fluttershy.

War.

The word rang in her head and then lingered like a snake hissing over her back.

Rainbow didn't know much about it, to her surprise. It was a foreign subject. Sure, she had learned about ancient battles in school and occasionally heard about wars between other countries, but not in a thousand years has Equestria taken to the battlefield.

It was the unknown.

And she was _terrified_.

But would she answer the call?

Dash wondered as a tear fell from her cheek, gazing at her stricken friend. Pinkie had suffered two broken ribs and a fractured hoof. Fluttershy had broken both wings, a foreleg, sustained minor burns, and dislocated the shoulder of her other foreleg.

Both had passed out.

They were lucky that they were far enough away from the blast that they were both thrown back from the explosion rather than engulfed by it. The doctor and nurses had told her and her friends that they would be fine but for some reason that didn't make her feel any better.

She turned to the window, watching the sunrise. The sun and the moon were still rising and falling at regular intervals, which meant that Princess Luna and Celestia were still alive. Maybe this wasn't a complete disaster after all. The light glazed itself over the landscape, eventually reaching Pinkie's room. As the light hit her face, she let out a sigh of relief. She didn't know how, but somehow, the light rejuvenated her. It was giving her new life, a break from the stress that she absolutely needed.

Rainbow Dash had always felt that it was a duty of hers as the Element of Loyalty to protect her friends, Pinkie and Fluttershy especially. Pinkie was the youngest of the group and the most innocent, so of course Rainbow Dash felt protective over her. Fluttershy as well, she was kind-hearted and pure, and Rainbow Dash didn't want to see that destroyed. Rainbow cared for all of her friends, but she had a special connection with these two especially. Aside from being their friend, she also saw herself as their protector.

"Mmmm...Dashie?"

Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder and saw Pinkie yawning, her mouth opened wide. Her eyes were sleepy and half-open, and her pink fizzy mane was a complete mess. After the yawn, Pinkie just stared at Rainbow blankly. She decided to approach the bedside slowly and rest her fore hooves on the side.

Rainbow gave her friend a light smile.

"How are you feeling Pinkie?" she spoke softly.

Pinkie returned her own weak smile.

"Well, it only hurts a little bit, but I'm still pretty tired."

"You should probably get some more rest then, you'll need it."

Pinkie's smiled faded away and drooped into a frown. She blinked at Rainbow Dash again.

"Dashie...what happened?"

Rainbow refused the urge to cringe. She couldn't tell her about what had happened, at least not now.

"Don't you worry about that, Auntie Rainbow Dash has got it all taken care of," she joked with a smirk.

Pinkie laughed.

"You took my lin-ouchie," she squealed in pain.

Pinkie grimaced as she held a hoof over her ribs and coughed. She stared stared back at Dash, smiling through the pain in her ribcage.

Rainbow Dash frowned in concern, she couldn't stand to see such a close friend like this. It just wasn't right. Pinkie and Fluttershy were probably the last ponies that deserved to be put through something like this.

"Where's Fluttershy?"

"She's fine. In the other room actually."

Pinkie jerked her head over to the closed door, as her face lit up suddenly.

"Really?! Can I talk to her?!" Pinkie's eyes grew wide as she slammed both of her hooves onto the blanket.

The pink pony twitched as a sharp pain shot up her fractured hoof.

Rainbow chuckled. She was still Pinkie, that's for sure.

"Yeah, but she's asleep right now with Twilight keeping an eye on her. Applejack had to step out to blow off some steam and Rarity left to go calm her down after she almost bucked somepony in the face. You should probably get some sleep too," she pointed out.

It wasn't every day that they saw Applejack get upset like that. Witnessing it made Rainbow shiver. She was the one that was supposed to be pissed, and Applejack the calm and stoic one. Apparently, they traded roles today.

Pinkie sighed as she ran a hoof over her blankets.

"Yeah, you're probably right."

And with that Pinkie let her head fall back down onto her pillow, turning away from the pegasus.

"Well, Rarity will be by later. And I left you a Daring Do book by the way. It's on the little table next to you," she pointed out as she began to trot towards the exit.

Pinkie Pie turned over back towards the door and gazed at her friend one last time.

"Dashie?"

Rainbow Dash took her hoof off the door and looked back.

"Yeah?"

"You're a good friend, and I love you lots. All of you."

A normal pony's heart would melt at such a statement, especially in the way Pinkie Pie said it.

Rainbow Dash grinned.

"Thanks Pinkie. It's good to hear that. And I'm sure the others will appreciate it too."

_"No, 'I love you' back?"_Rainbow Dash thought in frustration.

As collected as she was, Rainbow was not good at sappy stuff.

She watched Pinkie smile as the pink mare snuggled into her face into the pillow like a baby filly. Rainbow Dash repulsed a choke as she opened the door and stepped out. As she closed it behind her, Rainbow Dash could feel the warmth of a single tear coming down her cheek.

Yes.

She _would_ answer the call.

Whoever had done this to her best friends needed to be stopped, no matter the cost. She couldn't imagine how many other ponies and families that Red Mane had destroyed already. There was no way she was going to let them get away with this, or worse, a chance to do it again.

Red Mane.

The enemy.

She swore on her life that she would make them pay.

_Nopony_ hurts her friends.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

"When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die."

- Jean-Paul Sartre


End file.
